Like The World According to Garp (1978), although with less violence, The Hotel New Hampshire mirrors contemporary concerns about rape and sexual identity. John Berry, the narrator, is the middle child of five in a family that establishes and lives in a series of hotels — in New Hampshire, Vienna, and Maine — suggesting the rootlessness of modern life. John's sister Franny is raped as a young girl, and the rage Irving feels about this crime, which he has called "the most violent assault on the body and the head that can happen simultaneously," is objectified in the character of Junior Jones, a young black football player who catches and punishes the rapists and eventually marries Franny. The rape has left.....
This is a free excerpt of 120 words. This section contains 237 words. This
study guide contains 15,130 words (approx. 50 pages at 300
words per page).
Read the rest of this Literature Guide with our The Hotel New Hampshire Access Pass.
